


Isn't it a lovely way, we got in from our play

by risinggreatness



Series: Circle 'round the sun [81]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Non-Graphic Smut, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 21:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3333248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/risinggreatness/pseuds/risinggreatness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a Jedi is a fulltime job, so is being a parent, Luke and Mara must balance the two (not EU compliant)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Isn't it a lovely way, we got in from our play

It’s a familiar sight which greets Mara when she comes through the door late at night. The light in the apartment is suffused and warm next to the pinpricks of light she watched as she returned to Coruscant.

She can’t sneak up on Luke after the door hisses shut, so she doesn’t try. He’s probably more alert than she is anyway. There’s no way his past two days of training could have been as exhausting as holding rival pirating factions at arms-length.

“Devising new lesson plans to make your students revolt? Because I have some pointers,” she teases as she swoops in from behind to kiss him on neck.

“Shh!” he hisses, pointing to the figure beside him.

Sprawled out on the couch, head just propped up on Luke’s side is a sleeping Shmi.

“She wanted to stay up and wait for you to come home,” Luke whispers.

“And you let her stay up past her bedtime?”

“She was pretty insistent.”

“You’re soft, Skywalker.”

Mara bends over and plants a gentle kiss on Shmi’s cheek. Despite her best effort not to rouse their daughter, Shmi shifts, eyes opening cautiously against brightness of the room.

“Mom?”

“Hello, sleepyhead.   Come on, I know where you’re supposed to be.”

Mara scoops Shmi up, though she’s getting too big for it, and carries her into her room.

“I was gonna stay up and tell –” Shmi’s thoughts are interrupted by a tremendous yawn.

“You can tell me all about anything in the morning. I’ll still be home,” Mara mollifies as she pulls a blanket over Shmi, stifling her own yawn.

The sofa is still warm when Mara lies down in the space Shmi’s body once occupied. Luke’s free hand catches in her hair. Mara closes her eyes.

“How much trouble did the Sevilles give you?”

Not fighting the yawn this time, “The Vallaidos were the ones who wouldn’t get off our asses, but they’re all appeased for…”

Sleep comes almost instantly.

\----------

The Vallaido split them up; a rookie mistake, but Mara is not cowed, even as the pirates seem to gain speed with each passing fraction of a second.

Mara and Seddwia deflect blaster shots along the edge of the canyon, but Seddwia is driven into one of the caves. Mara spins around, calling on the Force to use nearby boulders to take out the oncoming pirates. Though several are blown back by the collapsing rocks, the largest of the gang makes it past and collides with Mara, sending them both skidding off the edge.

She doesn’t yell when she feels bones in her leg crack under the weight of her assailant.

Her free hand catches onto a tiny notch in the stone wall in the nick of time; the other still safely grips the hilt of her retracted lightsaber. The pirate tumbles to the near-invisible bottom.

The rest of the Vallaido peer over the edge. Clipping the lightsaber to her belt, Mara takes what little leverage she has to swing herself further into the wall of the canyon, out of blaster range.

Her broken leg slams into rock; Mara bites down hard on her lower lip, drawing blood.

It will be a slow climb, dodging blaster fire and finding notches to grip to. If her damn leg wasn’t broken, she could catapult herself upwards with the Force.

Blaster fire _does_ echo in the canyon, but Mara is surprised to find it is not directed at her. The tell-tale sound of shots ricocheting off an ignited lightsaber.

Seddwia’s back and Mara needs to help her. ( _One hand over the other._ )

The sounds of battle do not lessen as Mara pulls herself slowly up the side, one leg dangling dangerously. Each inch she gains feels like two lost.

She’s almost made it when a hand grabs tight onto her wrist. If she didn’t know the hand instantly, she would have jerked it and the body attached to it over the edge, risking herself with it. But Luke’s got a firm grip on her and pulls her the last few feet.

The safety of solid ground under her chest is temporary; the pirates Seddwia and Luke failed to dispense of bear down.

Mara launches herself upwards, igniting her lightsaber and snatching a still-prostrate Luke’s off his belt.

Three heads hit the ground at the same time Mara finally feels the stabbing pain shooting up her leg and into her gut.

Luke catches her before she doubles over.

Safe in the confines of the med bay, Mara can’t bring herself to look Luke in the eye. They agreed; they knew the risks – _she_ knew the risk in still living like this, even for the Jedi.

“I shouldn’t keep going on dangerous missions, I could have died there and where would that leave you and Shmi –”

“But you didn’t,” he cuts her off, annoying even tone and all.

“Only because you were there.”

Luke shrugs, “I made it easier. Besides, I think, you’re the one who stopped us from getting shot.”

He’s right, which makes Mara huff. She’s supposed to feel guilty about carrying on like it’s only her. ( _She still does._ )

Shmi’s smile on the holo cannot be dimmed by crappy tech at the sight of both her parents, whole and breathing.

Mara remembers caution better the next time.

\----------

Shmi sleeps most of the day; Luke is grateful for Set’s company. ( _Strange to think it’s almost time to let Set go._ )

It will still be hours before _Jade’s Fire_ returns.

Set goes back to the Temple when Leia stops by on her way home from the senate.

She looks down sympathetically at them, pushing Shmi’s hair back from her face, “Poor dear, I had Idolian fever when I was younger than her. It really knocks you down.”

“I know,” Luke mutters, surprised he can remember the week of distress Leia suffered years before. ( _At least he’s certain now that’s what kept him fretting._ )

Leia goes, leaving Luke alone with Shmi and countless thoughts.

“Is mom going to be home soon?” Shmi whispers hoarsely, breaking the spell of silence.

“Very soon,” is the best he can assure her.

( _Mara turned the ship around the second he called; they both will it to move beyond the hyperdrive’s capacity._ )

It is not the first time it’s occurred to him, but never before has he felt the strength of desire to do anything to make Shmi feel safe and happy this strongly. ( _His mother’s, his aunt and uncle’s, and in his own way, his father’s precedents firmly planted in his heart._ )

But when Mara comes, practically crashing in, Luke is reminded it does not take forbearers to know how to bleed for one’s children.

He hasn’t stretched his legs in hours. Luke rises to look out the window; Mara stays put.

When Shmi can sit up again a few days later, her cousins come to jump up and down on her bed.

Luke slides his hands around Mara’s waist as the pair of them watch the children joke and laugh with each other.

\----------

The house on Naboo is primarily Leia’s work, though Luke helps where he can. She doesn’t need another task to work on, but like hell if Luke knows much about living like the elite.

But Shmi takes to it from the moment she lays eyes on it, even during times when it is only them staying there.

Mara teaches Shmi how to swim there and gives Luke unsolicited pointers at how to do better. This results in an immense amount of splashing on his part, with no small help from Shmi.

Winter on Naboo is different. With only ice to haphazardly slip over, there isn’t much to do at the lakeside. Instead, they stay curled into each other by the fire as wind and snow batter the windows.

Shmi braves the cold to choose new books; Luke and Mara take turns reading out loud.

Luke shudders against the chill when Shmi yanks the blanket off.

“Desert farmboy hates the cold?” Mara laughs. “However did you survive Hoth?”

“You get used to it.”

“But Uncle Han had to save you from freezing to death.”

Count on Han to tell her that one. Luke sighs dramatically which makes Shmi giggle, but is all genuine appreciation when recounting his side of the story.

He _had_ botched that recon.

“And then what would have happened if Uncle Han hadn’t rescued me?” he concludes.

“You wouldn’t have met mom and then there wouldn’t be me!” Shmi flourishes her hands about.

They all laugh, but Shmi is noticeably sober for the rest of the evening. Her lack of regular verve nags at the back of Luke’s mind, well after Shmi’s put to bed, well after he and Mara lay tangled in their sheets and each other.

“We’re doing the right thing, only having her… right?”

Mara props herself up on her elbows, “Yes. We don’t have nearly enough time for each other, let alone her. Another kid would… complicate things.”

Luke pulls himself closer, skin on skin. She isn’t wrong; another, no matter what Shmi might want, would be more unfair to their daughter in the long run.

Mara continues, somewhat sardonically, “Plus, you have the easy part.”

The snowstorm outside eased, the light of Naboo’s three moons allows her to see his grin and he her raised eyebrows.

“It doesn’t have to be easy,” he quips, dipping his head down low. Mara softly shrieks in pleasure; Luke dimly hopes it doesn’t wake Shmi up.

The cold and the snow aren’t as miserable as he remembers.

\----------

Politics still bore Mara; she doesn’t care if it would have looked odd if Luke attended the party by himself, but, at least, she found a dress she’s pleased with. ( _With no back, Luke better be as well._ )

She’s grateful when Leia passes her a glass of Whyren’s.

“At least one of us should drink at this,” she grumbles, before being pulled off by one of the Chancellor’s aides.

Luke glances over Separatists’ shoulders at her, and at least has the decency to look sympathetic.

Even Han and Chewie found a group to engage in deep discussion.

Mara sighs and steps out to wander the halls and breaks into an unoccupied senator’s office. Settling on the desk facing outwards to the city, she kicks her shoes off and takes a hard swig of the whiskey.

She _could_ have stayed home, spent the evening with Shmi and R2 and it would have been a far superior night. But she’s too damn stubborn and constantly needs to prove to others, to herself, that somehow she’s changed.

( _If she hasn’t changed much, then government functions have changed even less._ )

“Mara?”

Luke’s a silhouette in the door, voice full of concern.

Sharply, “Aren’t they going to notice you’re missing?”

The door shuts and the room goes nearly dark again, but Luke has not left. He crosses the room to stand before her.

“It’s not really my thing either.”

Languorously, “We could make it our thing.”

The whiskey sets a fire in her blood and Luke requires no second prompt.

At the sound of tearing fabric as they clamber onto the desk, “Careful! If you want to see me in this thing again, you better not destroy it.”

“I don’t really care about the dress,” he breathes into her neck.

“And slow down –”

“We’re going to get caught –”

“I really don’t care,” she mimics him, breaths and heartbeat increasing in speed.

Let the bastard whose desk they’re fucking on catch them. It’d make for one of the building’s more interesting parties anyway.

\----------

In the days that follow the children meeting Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia keep cautious eyes on all of them.

If something is truly bothering Shmi, Luke cannot tell.

They return home from the Temple, both tired but ready for Mara’s return.

“Dad, can I wait up with you?”

“Yep. Let’s see what you learned with Master Aven today.”

Halfway through the exercise, Shmi stops abruptly.

“How did it feel when you found the truth about grandfather?” she asks solemnly.

Instead of a dreaded pit in his stomach, Luke is relieved. She wants to talk about it. She wants to move through the grief.

He beckons her to sit beside him, she does so willingly.

“Betrayed. Alone. Afraid after years of everyone telling me I was just like him that it would be true.”

Shmi shudders; Luke holds her closer.

“But I realized I didn’t have to fulfill everyone’s expectations. I am a different person; so are you. Your aunt and I never want you or your cousins to feel afraid of who Anakin Skywalker was at any point. Your mom certainly won’t let you.”

At this, Shmi smiles. After it all, even softened by hearing stories from her grandfather about her grandmother and great-grandmother, Shmi stayed by Mara’s side for days. ( _Luke wonders if Shmi is trying to repair the hurt he felt at a natural parental allegiance._ )

“Your mom, your aunt, and I are here for you. Your cousins are on the same ship. Everyone who knows is here for you.”

Shmi sniffles but nods; Luke kisses the top of her head.

“Now let’s finish that routine to show mom, hmm?”

Shmi doesn’t spring up as she normally would, but when she does stand, puts all her effort into the levitation and gymnastics.

And when Mara comes through the door, Shmi is there to meet her halfway.

**Author's Note:**

> See author bio for discussion on this 'verse.


End file.
